Principal's Welcome Message

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! I want to personally welcome our new families to Stone and welcome back our returning eighth grade families. I am looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and growing together.  It is my hope that your family has enjoyed your time together and is looking forward to the new school year. 

Stone has been a busy place this summer.  We hosted a three week Problem Based Learning Camp and Project Panther this week for almost 200 new seventh graders. Last night over 250 students and parents attended our Project Panther BBQ and information night.   Next week we will host a five day math boot camp. Thank you for sending your students and participating in these wonderful summer opportunities. 

Please join us on Wednesday, August 31st for “Panther Prep Night” at Stone from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  On Panther Prep Night you will be given the opportunity to buy P.E. uniforms, yearbooks, place money on your child’s lunch account, join the PTSA, and pick up your child’s schedule.  We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to get a head start on the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.  If you are unable to attend “Panther Prep Night,” your child may pick up his/her schedule on the first day of school.

My goal is to keep you informed by sending a Keep in Touch (KIT) every Friday.  I will also post the KIT on the webpage under Principal’s Page.  Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of my administrative team should you have any concerns or suggestions throughout the year. We look forward to working with your student this year!

Sincerely,

Amielia Mitchell

Principal


BOOK YOUR SUMMER

READ FOR FUN...AND KEEP TRACK FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! Book Your Summer is a program that builds a community of readers in FCPS. Book Your Summer will run from June 27 - September 7, 2016. Participants in each school will qualify for a chance to win school prizes: $50 in books of their choice or a laptop.


FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL:

Our first day of school is Tuesday, September 6th and it is a regular school day with classes scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. The warning bell rings at 7:20 a.m. Students who are driven to school should be dropped off at Kiss & Ride off Sully Park Dr, avoiding the faculty parking lot and the bus lanes. The area will be clearly marked for you.

 

VIRTUAL OPENING

At Panther Prep Night, you will receive a virtual packet checklist and the forms we require to begin the school year. Please complete these forms and return them to the Panther Block teacher on the first day of school. The rest of the items on the checklist are informational and/or optional and may be found on our website and completed at your leisure. In keeping with our effort to reduce the amount of paperwork we send home, it is very important to include your email address on the emergency care form. Email is our primary form of communication.


CLINIC INFORMATION

For students who will need to take medications during school hours, the School Health Aide (SHA) will be in the Stone clinic daily. PARENTS may bring medications to the clinic beginning September 6, from 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. The appropriate medication form needs to be completed and all medications must be in the original container. Forms for medication, Epi-pens and inhalers are available at http://www.fcps.edu/forms.shtml.


SCHOOL SUPPLIES

On the first day of school, students are expected to come prepared with a notebook and pencil. Our school supply list is on our web site at http://www.fcps.edu/StoneMS/. Individual teachers or teams may require additional supplies and students will be provided with this information once school begins.

Each student will be supplied with a planner/assignment book, which contains a card to track tardies and a Hallway Passport. The planner must be carried at all times. The planner is used to encourage organization, time management, and communication between home and school. They will be in use beginning September 6, and parents should periodically review the planner.


FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION

Students in grades 7-8 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their health and physical education course. Students receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions at http://www.fcps.edu/is/hpe/fle.shtml

In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.

       Online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for.

       Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available in the Stone Library.  

       Parents/guardians will need a SIS account to access FCPS 24-7. Account information is available at your local school or online at http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/247help/parents.shtml

There will be an opportunity for parents to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held during Back to School Night on Thursday, September 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 in the Stone Library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time


STUDENT LOCKERS

Students’ lockers will be issued beginning Thursday, September 8, 2016. Students will be issued a locker as soon as signed emergency care cards, health information, and Student Rights & Responsibilities forms are returned to the school.  It is requested that students NOT BRING BACKPACKS or HATS, to school until lockers are assigned.  Once lockers are issued, students may begin using backpacks to transport workbooks and materials to and from school.


BYOD

Students are encouraged to Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) to school this year for academic use in the classroom. When students sign the SR&R, they agree to the FCPS Acceptable Use Policy which includes personal devices on the FCPS network. Students are allowed to use personal devices for academic purposes only. Devices can be confiscated if students are using their devices for personal use (emails, texts, phone calls, and accessing social media).


DRESS CODE

Students are expected to dress appropriately for the K-12 educational environment. Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment is not permitted. Examples of prohibited clothing include but are not limited to pajamas, slippers, sagging or low-cut pants, low-cut necklines that show cleavage, tube tops, halter tops, backless blouses or blouses with only ties in the back, spaghetti straps, clothing constructed of see-through material, hats, head coverings unless required for religious or medical purposes or clothing which promotes the unlawful use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or gang-related activity. Girls’ shorts and skirts must be longer than their fingertips when arms are extended at their sides. Students not complying with this code will be asked to cover the non-complying clothing, change clothes, or go home. Repeated infractions will result in disciplinary action.


CAFETERIA

The cost of breakfast this year is ($1.75), lunch ($3.00) and milk ($.60). Information about the free and reduced lunch program will be directly mailed to parents. Free and Reduced lunch applications are also available in the main office. Students who were enrolled in the program during the 2015-2016 school year will continue to receive this benefit for the first month of school. In order to remain in this program, parents must complete and submit a new application by September 30, 2016 for the 2016-2017 school year.

 If you are not eligible now but later you have a decrease in income, become unemployed, or have a change in household or family size, you may submit an application at that time. Your child’s counselor will be glad to help assist you in this process. Applications take a minimum of ten days to process, and you will be notified by letter from FCPS of the approval or denial of the application.

 

CALENDAR UPDATE

August 8 – 12 – Math Boot Camp

August 31 – Panther Prep Night

 September 6 – First Day of School

September 12 – Fall Pictures

September 15 – Back to School Night

September 22 – Book Fair Begins

September 27 – Late Buses Start

October 7 – Student Holiday

October 10 – Columbus Day